Former Rep. Matt Gaetz has filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the official release of a House Ethics Committee report detailing potential misconduct during his time in office. The lawsuit was filed in Washington, DC, against the Republican-led committee and its chairman.
The lawsuit claims that the release of the report would cause immediate and irreversible damage to Gaetz's reputation, citing concerns about widespread media coverage. Gaetz alleges that he was not notified of the committee's plans to release the report and was not provided with copies of the materials, denying him the opportunity to respond to any investigative conclusions.
Gaetz's lawyers maintain his innocence regarding the alleged misconduct and assert that he has requested the committee to cease its investigation and provide him with due process rights, which they claim the committee has been unresponsive to.
The federal judge assigned to the case has ordered Gaetz to explain why the lawsuit should not be dismissed as moot, given that the committee has already released the report on its website. The House Ethics Committee has declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The report alleges that Gaetz paid women for sex or drugs on multiple occasions, including a 17-year-old girl in 2017, potentially violating state laws. Gaetz denies these allegations and points to the Justice Department's decision not to charge him after a similar investigation.
Furthermore, Gaetz disputes claims of using campaign funds for personal expenses and engaging in illicit drug use, citing investigations that found no evidence to support these allegations.
The lawsuit argues that the committee's intention to release the report, despite lacking jurisdiction over former members, represents an overreach that threatens constitutional rights and procedural protections.
Despite the committee's vote to release the report, Gaetz continues to maintain his innocence and challenge the findings presented in the report.
